The invention relates generally to nailing tools, and more particularly to adjustable magazines for nailing tools, combinations thereof, and methods therefor.
It is known generally to supply fasteners, for example trim nails, from a coiled strip of fasteners housed in a magazine of a fastener driving tool, for example a trim nailing tool. The coiled strip of fasteners includes generally a plurality of individual fasteners arranged and held in parallel, spaced apart relation by a flexible carrier formable in a coil and disposed in the magazine as is well known in the art.
It is also known to provide a magazine with an adjustable fastener support plate for accommodating coiled strips of fasteners having different sizes, and more particularly different axial lengths. Prior art FIG. 4 of the present application, for example, illustrates one known prior art adjustable magazine 10 comprising generally a magazine tray 12 having a nail plate 14 adjustably disposed therein for supporting a coiled strip of nails thereon. The magazine tray 12 has an inner post 16 coupled thereto and protruding from a central portion thereof. An outer post 18 is coupled to a central portion of the nail plate 14 and is disposed concentrically about the inner post 16. The outer post 18 is generally reciprocatingly adjustable relative to the inner post 16 to raise and lower the nail plate 14 to accommodate different sized nails. The inner post 16 is coupled to the outer post 18 by a stretched spring 20 disposed vertically therein. A first end of the spring is coupled to a cap 22 disposed on an end of the outer post 18, and a second end of the spring 20 is coupled to the inner post 16, thereby retaining the cap 22 on the outer post 18 and biasing the nail plate 14 downwardly relative to the inner post 16. The outer post 18 includes inner bosses that move along a series of grooves with pockets formed on the inner post 16, and the spring 20 biases the outer post 18 downwardly relative to the inner post 16 to retain the bosses in corresponding pockets.
The prior art adjustable magazine of FIG. 4 and other adjustable magazines however have a limited range of adjustability, thereby limiting the range of fastener sizes that may be disposed in or accommodated by the magazine. In prior art FIG. 4 discussed above, the range of nail plate 14 adjustability is limited in part by the outer post 18 and cap 22 thereof, which eventually abut against a cover 24 disposed over the magazine tray 12 when the nail plate 14 is raised sufficiently upwardly relative to the inner post 16 to accommodate shorter fasteners or nails in the magazine.
The invention is drawn toward advancements in the art of magazines useable for housing coiled strips of fasteners in fastener driving tools, for example trim nailing tools.
An object of the invention is to provide novel magazines for fastener driving tools, combinations thereof, and methods therefor that overcome problems in the art.
Another object of the invention is to provide novel magazines for fastener driving tools, combinations thereof, and methods therefor that are economical and reliable.
Another object of the invention is to provide novel magazines for fastener driving tools, combinations thereof, and methods therefor having an increased range of adjustability for accommodating different sized fasteners.
A further object of the invention is to provide novel magazines for fastener driving tools and combinations thereof that eliminate the cap on the outer post and that eliminate the stretched spring coupling the inner and outer posts of known magazines.
A more particular object of the invention is to provide novel magazines for coiled strips of nails useable in nailing tools, combinations thereof and methods therefor, comprising generally a magazine tray having an inner post with a recessed axial slot formed therein, and a nail plate having an outer post extending therefrom. The outer post is reciprocatingly disposed about the inner post, and a pin disposed through the outer post is biased so that an enlarged head thereof is biased into a recess of the axial slot to axially fix the nail plate relative to the inner post, whereby the nail plate is adjustably movable relative to the inner post when the enlarged head is unseated from the recess of the axial slot.
These and other objects, aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent upon careful consideration of the following Detailed Description of the Invention and the accompanying Drawings, which may be disproportionate for ease of understanding, wherein like structure and steps are referenced generally by corresponding numerals and indicators.